Top Artist of 2025: Mike Vorpal

Mike Vorpal Turns Gloom Into Glow on House of Capricorn

Mike Vorpal writes songs that feel lived in, like rooms you remember long after you have left the lights on. House of Capricorn, a standout from his debut solo EP Memes, leans hard into that feeling. From its first guitar strike, the track settles into a tense push and pull between dark wave moodiness and sharp, physical guitar lines. It moves with intent but never rushes, letting each sound breathe just enough to leave a mark.

Vorpal’s production work is confident without being flashy. Synth lines hum beneath the surface, tangled with rough-edged guitars that sound scraped rather than polished. The result feels close and wide at the same time, like standing alone in a crowded club while the band locks into something heavy and hypnotic. His vocals stay low and open, carrying a quiet weight that suggests things left unsaid, thoughts circling rather than landing.

House of Capricorn rewards repeat listens. Small shifts in rhythm and melody creep up on you, echoing the slow burn of records by artists like Interpol, early The National, or the more shadowed moments of Depeche Mode. There is also a cinematic pull here, the kind that would sit comfortably beside late night scenes from Drive or Donnie Darko.

Memes as a whole confirms Vorpal as an artist who understands restraint and tension. This is music for night drives, empty rooms, and anyone who finds comfort in songs that linger rather than shout.